HAVE WE LOST JESUS? Jan. 2020
Reference: Luke 2:40-50 (NKJV)
40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
There is a time when I had left my husband and son at church and took my daughter home. When my husband got home without my son, he said he thought that my son was with me. Soon afterwards, the phone rang and on the line was my son saying, “Daddy left me.” He had been playing in the back, so he didn’t know I had left. His Dad returned for him and brought him home.
In Luke 15, we read of three parables concerning losses: the lost sheep; the lost coin; and the lost son. In each of those discourses, vigilance was executed until that which had been lost was retrieved. There was a display of diligent expectation on the part of the ones who suffered loss.
In our effort to experience the power of God in our daily routines, have we lost Jesus? Even known atheists acknowledge a Source by which the universe is guided, even if they call it coincidence. Whether or not we practice any particular faith, our principles of life are irrelevant to the dynamics of God’s existence.
In Luke Chapter 2, we see that years had passed since Simeon and Anna performed their role in Jesus’s life. Then we are given another glimpse along His life’s journey. Jesus was now twelve years old. It meant that in another year, he would have the ceremonial Bar Mitzvah (coming-of-age) and would then be deemed a full-fledged member of the Jewish community. His parents would then be released from their responsibility for his actions. Also, He would be able to participate in Temple worship and other religious practices, whether in the family or community.
However, at age twelve, the child was in preparation for the onset of adult responsibilities: to read the commandments in the Torah; learn how to read the chants; and the procedure for leading the Shabbat (morning service). A group of ten Jewish men were required for public prayer, but the twelve-year-old child is expected to grow spiritually, and to decipher the Scriptures from an unbiased perspective. The Torah is their guide to maturity. With this knowledge, we now understand the importance of our being told that the child grew strong in spirit; wisdom, and the grace of God (Luke 2: 40)
Jesus and his parents customarily attended Passover in Jerusalem, annually. (A celebration of commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egyptian slavery). It can last up to eight days. The promises of redemption and the tears shed in Egypt are among the reminders during the celebration. During this time of spiritual encounter, it also commemorates hope and springtime. It was the perfect occasion for Jesus to remain in Jerusalem.
His parents kept going because they assumed that He was with family members, so they did not worry. I suppose they made inquiries, only to discover that the relatives did not know where He was. Further search found Him in the Temple interacting with doctors. As per my introduction, I fully understand that incident.
This was the onset of Jesus’ coming-of-age, so it was a natural inclination for Him to gravitate towards the Temple worshippers. Soon, it would be time for Him to function there, as an adult. His imminent, legal, spiritual duties got the better of Him, so He placed His affinity to God, above parental controls.
Since Jesus expected His parents to understand His divine assignment, and that He was a major part of prophetic fulfillment, divine duties took priority. Don’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business? was not a response of disrespect, but rather, one of: How come you don’t know?
They had lost Him in several aspects of the word lost: unable to locate, absent; disappeared; missing. They lost Him not only as a child, but also the reality of His purpose on the Earth. We can well imagine the emotional turmoil of the parents. Yet, have we lost Him too?
We may lose Him via consciousness, connection, contact or communication. We are all created with a thirst for the Divine. So, man has an innate void that needs to be satisfied. Sadly, many seek to satiate that feeling with possessions, the worship of inanimate objects, status, and/ people. This replacement stifles and even causes dormancy of the God-consciousness that we should be nurturing. No wonder it seems easier to some, to accredit their existence to fate, fame and fortune.
On the other hand, God-consciousness thrives on faith, favor and fervency in the spirit. God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12: 1-3) was that He would bless him. We are also beneficiaries of that covenant, but we must live according to Biblical guidelines.
Exodus 20:3-4 warns us against replacing God with anything. Also, Deuteronomy 4: 23, 24 reminds us of the consequences of omitting God from our lives. It is easy to acknowledge God in everything, (Proverbs 3:6), if we practice an awareness of His existence and might. In the beginning, when the Earth was formless and empty, God spoke and created, therefore NOTHING exists without Him.
Known, former atheists (like Lee Strobel and C. S. Lewis) have been converted to belief in God’s existence because they went in search of proving otherwise. The most miserable existence can be catapulted into inner strength, graceful living and tranquility if only a transformation is made. Once we experience the fellowship of knowing Him, our lifestyle cannot deny that He rewards those who seek Him. Then, we will reason and conclude that Psalm 91: 1 is factual.
Next, we must connect with Jesus because He is the only way to God (Acts 4: 12). To connect: to bring together so that a real or notional link is established; to join so that there is access and communication; link to a power supply. Jesus provides the entry to God; therefore, He is the link to our Source.
It is necessary to keep the flow vibrant so that the chain of command produces the necessary access. Like electrons (negative charge), and protons (positive charge), interact to create electricity, we must be connected to the heavenly circuit so that we can feed the flow of God’s power in us.
Contact produces warmth, security, interaction and confidence. Where can we go that we cannot find Jesus there? By the very nature of His omnipresence, He is everywhere. A lack of sustenance of contact is another way in which we may lose Jesus. Then we will be deprived of the milk and meat of the Word. Thus, becoming malnourished. The disciples lost contact with Him as they walked on the road to Emmaus. He was a stranger then. Later, when they reconnected with Him, they declared “Did not our hearts burn?” (Luke 24: 13-16; 28-32).
When we are disconnected, He seems like a stranger and there is a gap in the relationship. Strangers are not readily trustworthy. They do not share our confidence. They are not told our secrets because they are not in our inner circle. When did we lose that closeness? Since contact also includes communication, what kind of exchange has there been?
One of the ways by which Jesus speaks to us is via the Bible. How do we respond? May we keep the conversation going. Do we confide in Him? Do we trust Him to work ALL things together for our good? How do we see Him?
In the storm the disciples saw Him as a ghost (Matthew 14: 22-26). Fear controlled them when they focused on the situation that they did not understand. He was not real to them anymore. Although He always did the supernatural before their eyes, the absence of contact dimmed their faith and they succumbed to their imagination. They did not even think that He had a hand in their situation. It had to be the enemy’s work. What a view! May we ask for grace to attribute everything to His perfect plan and path because He loves us everlastingly.
What kind of track record does He have with us? Based on our answers, have we lost Him? If so, there is a way back to Him. Be admonished by Isaiah 55:6, 8, 9. Like Mary and Joseph with regards to the angel’s announcement, we may be making resolutions. We may be experiencing mixed emotions about the path we traveled in 2019.
Yet, He remains faithful and impartial. Instead of looking at our fellow men with jealousy and envy, may we take a different perspective: what Jesus has done for others, He will also do for me. This impartial God desires for us to be conscious of His intervention in our lives, have a connection to Him and keep in contact via communicating in prayer.
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
-
What is our perspective of Jesus?
-
How do we demonstrate that we are in contact with Jesus?